This Week: ACEDIA (Sloth)

In Roman Catholicism, sloth (latin: accidia, pigritia) is one of the seven deadly sins, and is defined as spiritual and/or actual apathy or laziness, putting off what God asks you to do, or not doing it or anything at all. Acedia is a Latin word, from Greek akedia, literally meaning "absence of caring".

Sloth can also concern wasting due to lack of use or allowing entropy, expanding into almost any person, place, thing, skills, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement and/or support to continue to exist.

Several religious views concerning the need for one to work to support society and further gods plan and work by doing so; reflects that by not being active alone, you invite the desire to sin on its own. (“For Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do”. Isaac Watts)

The meaning of sloth as a vice closely follows the meaning of the Greek word "akedia": "absence of caring". A student who neglects her studies to pursue another interest, such as martial arts or filming, does not commit the sin of sloth. Perhaps she should restructure her priorities, but the student does not display a spiritual decay, a lack of interest in anything, and thus is not slothful. A student who took no interest in anything requiring great effort, but preferred to watch television and play video games, might be slothful.

Hit on January 25 2007

Seven Weeks, Seven Sins

So today i'm at last starting my seven sins tattoo. It took about three or four months of research, planning, drawing to come this far... the final sketch is not 100% complete- some of the sins need some details, but the first two or three are complete. So, it begins.



When the idea first came to me of a seven sin tattoo, there was an accompanying insipiration of making this more symbolic, of letting it affect my life more. So i then thought that i could make one tattoo per week- and on that week i would display everything that goes against that sin's nature. Anyway, the original plan was meant as an exercise, a test, a thing to accompany this fine piece of art, to make it mean something more than a mere tattoo. Still toying with the whole idea, i was not sure how this translates into practical, everyday stuff- but a rough list can be made.

Acedia (sloth) A diligent week of not being idle/postponing.
No pointless ceiling-staring, no 6-hours of WoW, no excuses for not doing important stuff. Complete half-done things, errands, projects that have been too lazy to look after.

Gula (Gluttony) A week of fasting.
Last time was when i was 5. Still, i could use the detox :) No milk, oil, meat, fish, egg, animal-stuff.

Ira (wrath) A week of forgiveness.
I don't fully grasp how this can be implemented in my daily routine. I guess, just being calm no matter what happens. No violence of any sort. I hope i don't get into a car accident :P

Invidia (Envy) A week of kindness and pure admiration.
I don't fully grasp how this can be implemented in my daily routine, again. Maybe again, just a behaviour pattern of not being jealous, of being happy for one's accomplishments and/or belongings.

Luxuria (Lust) A week of no sex.
Of any kind. That's tough.

Avaritia (Greed)A week of sharing, giving.
Give away to the needy. Give the equivelant of my daily salary to random beggars? Is that going too much?

Superbia (Pride) A week of humbleness.
I don't fully grasp how this can be implemented in my daily routine, yet again. Maybe accept humbly any remarks, demands and generally be, er, humble.

It should be noted that i'm not a religious freak, not even a regilious person. I've been to church twice in the last 2 or 3 years. And no, i haven't watched SE7EN too many times :P These sins are not sins that will send you to hell and burn your psyche for eternity, duh... but, they are passions that can (if taken to extremes of course) consume us... and make this life a hell. This project is not religious (altough of course it's inspired by a religious theme) but a spiritual one, a homage to the everyday traps that await us.